Let’s explore the origin of some common sayings. After writing columns about phrases like, “Don’t beat around the bush,” and “Going bananas,” many of you suggested some others.
Recently, I was trying to do a good deed in a supermarket parking lot. A woman was almost finished unloading her shopping cart, and I offered to return it to its rightful place. She said, “Sure, knock yourself out.” Not exactly a “thank you,” but then again, this is America in 2026, so I was not shocked.
Why would anyone tell you to knock yourself out? Where did that come from? The idiom experts believe this was not intended to be an insult when it originated in the 1930s. It was more of a cautious warning. “If you don’t take a break now and then, you may knock yourself out.”
A few decades later, it took on a different meaning. A more sarcastic tone emerged. As in, “What do you mean, you don’t want to play street hockey tonight? Are you scared?” The other person might reply,” Look, I’m just not interested. If you want to get all bruised up, knock yourself out.” Or, in my particular case, the snooty lady might as well have said, “Dude, I’m gonna leave this buggy here. If you want to earn your Boy Scout badge, knock yourself out.” People these days. Am I right?
Some of our favorite sayings certainly originated somewhere, but it is impossible to pin them down. One such expression is a popular one from my childhood. I’d hear the older folks express shock and surprise by saying, “Heavens to Betsy! I’ve never seen that many police cars in one place!”
“Heavens to Betsy” was first published in a newspaper in the 1850s, and some modern-day writers speculate that it merely used a popular name of that era, combined with “Good heavens,” a frequent expression of surprise. Others note that “Old Betsy” was the nickname of Davy Crockett’s rifle, and maybe that played a part.
But the author Charles Earle Funk, who attempted to track down similar phrases, wrote that he spent “an inordinate amount of time” trying to get to the bottom of the Betsy issue, before deciding that it’s “completely unsolvable.” I agree.
Having given up on Betsy, let’s move on to Pat. As in, “I’m standing pat.” There’s no one named Pat involved here. It originated in the 19th century as a poker term. A “pat hand” is a complete, optimal hand dealt right at the start that requires no replacement cards. To “stand pat” means to play that hand as dealt and decline to draw any new cards. It later evolved into a political term. If a politician was not inclined to run for another office, or would not change his position on a particular issue, he was considered a “standpatter.”
You hear it these days in sports, too. If a football coach decides to play it safe with a 3-point lead, and ends up losing to a more aggressive opponent, the fans may blame it on their coach “standing pat.” Actually, most fans today would likely use more colorful language to express their displeasure.
When I announced my upcoming retirement from TV news, a friend who is a recent retiree said, “You’re just like me. Too old to cut the mustard!”
Now I like mustard as much as the next guy. (By the way, who is that next guy? I’ll get to that some other time.) But how do you cut mustard? And how old is too old to do that?
Some writers say that “mustard” comes from the French word “moustarde” which was once used to describe a hot condiment made by grinding up cabbage seeds in the freshly pressed juice of grapes. It was later interpreted to mean something superior, as in, “that’s as keen as mustard.”
In 1951, singers Ernest Tubb and Red Foley scored a hit record with their duet of “Too Old to Cut the Mustard,” written by Bill Carlisle. 75 years later, we’re still saying it, so I think Mr. Carlisle should get credit. If you can come up with a better explanation, go ahead. Knock yourself out.
